Merlin's Shadow
by toliveanotherlife
Summary: Merlin is acting strange, so Arthur follows him to find out why. NO SLASH


Arthur walked down the corridor to his chambers, having just finished training with the knights. When he entered, he found Merlin, as expected, laying out his clothes for him to change into. However, Merlin looked slightly flushed, and as he got closer, Arthur noticed that his hands were trembling. Brushing it off for the moment, Arthur spread out his arms, signaling for Merlin to come help him out of his armor. As Merlin was removing the armor from his chest, Arthur noticed a small, neatly wrapped package tucked into his belt, hidden by his jacket. With a quick motion, Arthur plucked the package out of his belt and held it up in examination.

"What's this Merlin?" he asked, turning it this way and that. He looked over at his servant, finding him blushing slightly as he tried to snatch the package away.

"It's n-nothing", Merlin stammered out. Arthur gave him a reproachful look. "Don't try to fool me _Mer_lin. I'm not stupid. What is it?"

Merlin had the look of a cornered rabbit. "It's a, um, a...a new neckerchief! My blue one was getting raggedy, so I went out and bought one while I was gathering herbs for Gaius this morning."

"Fine," said Arthur, handing him back the little package. But he was still skeptical. Merlin was a rubbish liar. When Merlin finished, he rushed of the room with the excuse of doing chores for Gaius. Arthur, having decided that chores were definitely not what was making Merlin so excited and nervous, resolved to follow him. He followed Merlin as he slinked around corners and out of the castle. He followed him into town, staying hidden in the crowd. Arthur watched Merlin as he approached a stand selling flowers, exchanged a few words and coins with the woman there, and walked back to the castle with a bundle of tiger-lilies, foxglove and tulips in his arms. As he rounded a corner Arthur caught sight of the huge grin plastered on Merlin's face.

Even more curious now, Arthur shadowed Merlin as he made his way through the castle, eventually coming to a deserted corridor. There was a serving girl at the end of the corridor, with long brown hair in ringlets and a green dress on. As Merlin approached her, she turned, and Arthur could see from a distance that she was very beautiful, and her chocolate brown eyes shone when she saw Merlin. Arthur watched as they embraced and Merlin presented her with the flowers. He watched as Merlin produced the little package from his belt, unwrapped it, and pulled out a chain with a wooden pendant dangling from it. _Did Merlin make that himself_, thought Arthur in surprise. He had never known him to be particularly crafty or good with his hands. Good at anything, really.

As Arthur pondered this, he saw Merlin lean down and give the girl a tentative kiss on the cheek. _That is so like him_, thought Arthur with amusement,_ to be so chaste and polite._ The serving girl however, was not so polite. Before Merlin could pull away she turned her head so that their lips touched. She wound her arms around his neck, pressing her small body against his long and thin one. Merlin, looking quite surprised and pleased at the same time, Arthur noted, moved his hands to her slim waist. They stood like that for several minutes, kissing passionately in the middle of the empty corridor, Arthur watching, fascinated by the prospect of his manservant having a love life.

Eventually Arthur realized that standing there watching them was a very disturbing thing to do, so he turned his head, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall around the corner, waiting for Merlin to finish up with his lady friend. Finally Arthur heard the frantic kissing stop, heard Merlin and the girl whisper goodbye to each other. Arthur peeked around the corner and saw Merlin standing there, watching the girl sidle down the corridor with a lovestruck expression. As Merlin turned around Arthur quickly ducked back around the corner. He heard his friend approach, and saw him pass by him without noticing the King.

"I didn't know that you were such a ladies man, _Mer_lin," said the King with a smirk and a chuckle.

Merlin spun around, almost losing his footing. "What! How...you...what?" said a thoroughly confused and flustered Merlin. Arthur just grinned.

Gaining a bit of composer, Merlin ran a hand through his already mussed hair and frowned furiously. "Prat," he muttered as he stomped passed Arthur and down the corridor. Arthur jogged after his friend, laughing his head off the rest of the way back to his chambers.


End file.
